Senior Voice Recital · 2019. 5. 13. · no nol credete, pupille care; nemen per gioco v’ingannerò. Voi solo siete le mie faville, e voi sarete, care pupille, Il mio bel foco sin

©2016 Nora Katz. All rights reserved. 1

Senior Voice Recital

Emily Pollard, soprano Nora Katz, soprano

Saturday, May 14, 2016

8pm, Concert Hall

Dedicated with love to Ben Allen, our fearless, funny, and incredible voice teacher.

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL | 1685-1759 Libretto by CHARLES JENNENS | 1700-1773 The Messiah (1741) Handel’s Messiah is perhaps the most famous oratorio of all time. This English language work features a libretto by Charles Jennens, an Englishman and friend of Handel. He used scriptural text from the King James Bible and a version of Psalms included in the Book of Common Prayer, a popular Anglican prayer book. Handel composed the work in 1741 in a mere twenty-four days, and the work was first performed in Dublin the following spring. However, even after the first performances Handel continued to rework many arias and transposed them for multiple voice parts. This constant reworking and the general fluidity of voice parts within the work allows for a variety of ways to perform the piece. While originally composed for orchestra, we will use the piano reduction from the Watkins Shaw edition of the score.


No. 38 Air “How beautiful are the feet” This air was adapted from the scriptural text Romans 10:15 of the King James Bible:

“How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

I will be singing the soprano version, which was Handel’s first version of the piece and is now the most commonly performed. No. 20 Air “Come unto him” This air was adapted from the scriptural text Matthew 11:28-29 of the King James Bible:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

This is the second half of the air “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.” Handel originally composed both halves of the air for soprano, but then transposed the piece to an alto range for the Dublin premiere. Subsequently, he decided to divide the air up such that the first half is sung by alto and the second half by soprano. He used this division most frequently during his lifetime. As such, I have opted to only sing the second half of the air. No. 6 Air “But who may abide the day of his coming?” This air was adapted from the scriptural text Malachi 3:2 of the King James Bible:

“But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire…”

Handel originally composed this piece for a bass or alto and this arrangement continues to be the norm today. However, he transposed the piece to a soprano range for a 1754 performance. He then created a modified soprano version for his late “conducting score.” This is the piece that I am singing here. While the soprano version is rarely performed, I am excited for the chance to sing it here as it is one of my favorite pieces from the Messiah and I doubt I will get another chance to sing it. Additionally, the piano reduction in this version of the score is much simpler than the orchestral score and many other piano reductions. This simplicity might be a surprise to listeners used to the original version.

Emily Pollard Thomas Bartsch, piano


CLAUDE DEBUSSY | 1862-1918 Lyrics by THÉODORE DE BANVILLE | 1823-1891 “Nuit D’Etoiles” Nuit d’etoiles, sous tes voiles sous ta brise et tes parfums, Triste lyre qui soupire, je rêve aux amours défunts. La sereine mélancolie vient éclore au fond de mon cœur, Et j’entends l’âme de ma mie Tressailir dans le bois rêveur. Je revois à notre fontaine tes regards bleus comme les cieux; Cette rose, c’est ton haleine, Et ces étoiles sont tes yeux.

Night of stars, under your veils, under your breeze and your perfumes, sad lyre that sighs, I dream of loves gone by. The serene melancholy comes to bloom in the depths of my heart, and I hear the soul of my love awake in the dreamy woods. I see once again at our fountain your glances as blue as the sky; this rose, it is your breath, and these stars are your eyes.

DOMENICO BRUNI | 1758-1821 “Se Meritar Potessi” Se meritar potessi, Cara, gli affetti tuoi Sarei de’ numi istessi Più fortunato, allor. Ma sí felice sorte Per me non è serbata, Quest’alma non è nata per sì felice amor.

If I could earn, dear, your affections, then I would be more fortunate than the gods themselves. But such a happy fate is not in store for me; this soul was not born for such a happy love.

Debussy wrote “Nuit D’Etoiles” in 1880, when he was eighteen years old. The song is full of melancholy, which I think is perfectly matched by the lyrically similar but melodically contrasting “Se Meritar Potessi.” Both songs express longing for lost loves – either loves that left us or loves that never were. Throughout my singing career at Carleton, I’ve looked for narratives within my vocal repertoire. Pairing these two songs felt natural to me; it’s easy to imagine the same character performing these two contrasting pieces. Much of my vocal repertoire has been about unrequited loves (perhaps a reflection of what composers expect from sopranos), and these two songs fit in perfectly.

Nora Katz Thomas Bartsch, piano


GIOACHINO ANTONIO ROSSINI | 1792-1868 Rossini was one of the leading composers of Italian opera during the first half of the nineteenth century. He wrote thirty-nine operas in all of the major Italian genres including both serious opera and comic opera. However, neither of the arias I am singing are from operas; instead, both are from song collections. “La promessa” From Soirées Musicales (1830-1835) The text to this piece was written by Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782) for the opera seria Siroe rè di Persia (1726). This libretto was adapted to music by such notable Baroque composers as Handel and Antonio Vivaldi. However, Rossini decided not to adapt the entire libretto, but instead adapted the text of two arias for his song collection Soirées Musicales. In the context of the opera, this aria is sung by Emira, Siroe’s love interest, to assure Siroe of her fidelity as they are reunited near the end of the opera after much travail. This piece is an example of a de capo aria, a type of aria popular during Rossini’s time. The first verse returns after the second for the standard de capo ABA’ form. Ch’io mai vi possa lasciar d’amare, no nol credete, pupille care; nemen per gioco v’ingannerò. Voi solo siete le mie faville, e voi sarete, care pupille, Il mio bel foco sin ch’io vivrò.

That I will ever be able to stop loving you No, don’t believe it, dear eyes! Not even to joke would I deceive you about this. You alone are my sparks, and you will be, dear eyes, my beautiful fire as long as I live, ah!


“Anzoleta avanti la regatta” (“Anzoleta before the boat race”) From La Regata Veneziana: Tre canzoni in dialetto veneziano (The Venetian Boat Race: Three songs in Venetian dialect) (1878) This piece is the first of three songs in a short song cycle. The cycle focuses on a Venetian boat race and, in fact, the text, written by Francesco Maria Piave (1810-1876), is in a Venetian dialect of Italian. In this first song, Anzoleta urges her lover (Momolo) on to victory before the start of the race. In the second song, she continues to cheer him on as he competes in the race. Then, in the third, she congratulates him on his victory. Interestingly enough, Rossini wrote a Venetian dialect duet also called “La Regata Veneziana” as part of Soirées Musicales, the song cycle from which “La promessa” hails. Là su la machina xe la bandiera, varda, la vedistu, vala a ciapar. Co quela tornime in qua sta sera, o pur a sconderte ti pol andar. In pope, Momolo, no te incantar Va, voga d’anema la gondoleta, né el primo premio te pol mancar, va là, recordite la to Anzoleta che da sto pergola te sta a Vardar. In pope, Momolo, no te incantar, cori a svolar.

There on the machina is the flag. Look. Did you see it? Go get it. With that return here this evening, Or else you can hide, you can go. On the stern, Momolo, be not lost in wonder. Go row with soul the gondola, and the first prize you cannot miss, go there, remember your Anzoleta who stays to watch you from the balcony. On the stern, Momolo, be not lost in wonder. Run to fly.



WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART | 1756-1791 Libretto by LORENZO DA PONTE | 1749-1838 “Porgi Amor” From La Nozze de Figaro (1786) Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro, Al mio duolo, a’miei sospir! O mi rendi il mio tesoro, O mi lascia almen morir.

O Love, give me some remedy For my sorrow, for my sighs! Either give me back my darling Or at least let me die.

In the spring of 2015, I had the distinct privilege of studying abroad in Rome with Bill North and Victoria Morse on the History Department’s program History, Religion, and Urban Change in Medieval and Renaissance Rome. While there, I knew that I needed to spend as much time seeking out performances as possible. Luckily, in Rome, it’s impossible not to find incredible music around every corner. Among the many performances I saw that term, La Nozze di Figaro at the Teatro Dell’Opera in Rome was among my favorites. When I returned to Carleton in the fall, I described this incredible aria to Ben – though I didn’t know the title and forgot much of the context – and he pulled it up on his computer in seconds. “Porgi Amor” opens the second act of the opera, when the Countess stands in her bedchamber lamenting her husband’s infidelity. The Countess eventually forgives her husband, but not before a comedy of errors replete with several mistaken identities ensues.


CRAIG CARNELIA | b. 1949 “Flight” Let me run through a field in the night, let me lift from the ground ‘til my soul is in flight. Let me sway like the shade of a tree, let me swirl like a cloud in a storm on the sea. Wish me on my way… Through the dawning day, I... Wanna flow, wanna rise, wanna spill, wanna grow in a grove on the side of a hill. I don’t care if the train runs late, if the checks don’t clear, if the house blows down. I’ll be off where the weeds run wild where the seeds fall far from this earthbound town. And I’ll start to soar. Watch me rain ‘til I pour out. I’ll catch a ship and it’ll sail me astray, get caught in a wind and I’ll just have to obey time. ‘Til I’m flying away! Let me leave behind all the clouds in my mind, I wanna wake without wondering why Finding myself for a burst for the sky.


I’ll just roll; Let me lose all control, I wanna float like a wish in a well free as the sound of the sea in a shell. I don’t know, but maybe I’m just a fool, I should keep to the ground, I should stay where I’m at. Maybe everyone has hunger like this And the hunger will pass, But I can’t think like that. All I know is that somewhere in a clearing There’s a flickering of sunlight on a river long and wide. And I have such a river inside. Let me run through a field in the night, let me lift from the ground ‘til my soul is in flight. Let me sway like the shade of a tree, let me swirl like a cloud in a storm on the sea. Wish me on my way! Through the dawning day I... Wanna flow, wanna rise, wanna spill, wanna grow in a grove on the side of a hill.... Wanna shift like a wave rolling on, wanna drift from the path I’ve been traveling upon, Before I am gone. No celebration of my vocal life at Carleton would be complete without Kristen Nassar and Intertwining Melodies. I entered college knowing I wanted to sing a cappella, but I had no idea that it would become such an important and transformative part of my life. Kristen has been a creative collaborator, a source of energy and humor, and a wonderful friend. This song is a tribute to our time singing together for four years, a celebration of Sopranolandia, and a beautiful reflection on what the future holds for us. I love you, Kristen, and I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. Let’s never stop singing together.

Nora Katz Kristen Nassar

Thomas Bartsch, piano FRANZ LÉHAR | 1870-1848 English words by Adrian Ross “Vilia” From The Merry Widow (1905) There once was a Vilia, a witch of the wood. A hunter beheld her alone as she stood. The spell of her beauty upon him was laid. He looked and he longed for the magical maid. For a sudden tremor ran Right through the love-bewildered man, And he sighed as a hapless lover can: “Vilia, O Vilia, the witch of the wood! “Would I not die for you, dear, if I could? “Vilia, O Vilia, my love and my bride!”


Softly and sadly he sighed… The wood-maiden smiled, and no answer she gave, But beckoned him into the shade of the cave. He never had known such a rapturous bliss; No maiden of mortals so sweetly can kiss. As before her feet he lay, She vanished in the wood away, And he cried vainly to his dying day: “Vilia, O Vilia, the witch of the wood! “Would I not die for you, dear, if I could? “Vilia, O Vilia, my love and my bride!” Softly and sadly he sighed… The most sentimental set of the recital continues with this duet with my Skylark, Jialun Luo. As many of you probably know, I spent much of the first three years of my voice training working on an original musical entitled “Skylarks” that featured Jialun as our collaborative accompanist. This project was a highlight of my artistic and vocal career, and it cemented my relationship with Ben Allen, who advocated for the project from day one. This song, lifted from a very different context in Franz Léhar’s The Merry Widow, was my character’s theme – Vilia sang this song in two parts at the beginning and end of the show, telling the story of her lost love, Lubin (played with poise by Dimitri Smirnoff ‘15). In Léhar’s original opera, the widow Hanna sings this song to entertain her guests at a party. In Slovakian mythology, the Vila are wood nymphs cursed to roam the wilderness after being frivolous during their lifetimes. To me, though, this song will always be about Vilia, a lovelorn and powerful woman who fled to the woods after being rejected by her community.

Nora Katz Jialun Luo, piano

COLE PORTER | 1891-1964 “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” From Seven Lively Arts (1944) We love each other so deeply That I ask you this, sweetheart: Why should we quarrel ever? Why can’t we be enough clever never to part? Ev’ry time we say goodbye, I die a little; Ev’ry time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little, Why the Gods above me, who must be in the know Think so little of me, they allow you to go. When you’re near, there’s such an air of spring about it, I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it. There’s no love song finer,


but how strange the change from major to minor Ev’rytime we say goodbye. Cole Porter wrote this song for the musical revue Seven Lively Arts, which featured a host of showbiz greats including Bert Lahr (otherwise known as the Cowardly Lion) and this song’s original performer, Nan Wynn. The revue also starred Beatrice Lillie, who made “There are fairies at the bottom of our garden” (featured later in this recital) famous. The revue was a big Broadway spectacle about a group of young people who come to New York to make it in show business. Sound familiar? This song is one of my favorites, and it’s perfect to close out this set that bids farewell to some of the most important moments in my Carleton music career. Ev’ry time we say goodbye, I die a little…



AARON COPLAND | 1900-1990 Aaron Copland was a twentieth century American composer of both vocal and instrumental music including ballets, two operas, and even several film scores. A prolific composer, he worked from the age of eighteen up into his eighties. Through his life he was influenced by many different musical traditions from folk songs to Viennese serialism. In this set, I present three very distinct songs by Copland. “Why Did They Shut Me Out of Heaven?” From Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) After poring over volumes of American poet Emily Dickinson’s (1830-1886) poems, Copland finally decided to set twelve poems to music. Copland, in fact, wrote the songs and only then ordered them. He placed this song third in the cycle. Unfortunately, at the time of composition Copland did not have access to accurate editions of Dickinson’s poems. As such, his settings differ slightly from the original poems. Now facsimiles of Dickinson’s original manuscripts are readily available, and I was able to check the score against the original. In this particular poem, other than differences in punctuation, there are two marked digressions from the original. First, Copland uses “gentlemen” and “white robes” while Dickinson, in fact, wrote, “gentleman” and “white robe.” Additionally, Dickinson uses the verb “say” while Copland uses the word “sing.” I decided to emulate Copland’s performance with Adele Addison. In this performance, Addison seems to sing “sing,” “gentleman,” and “robe.” Dickinson’s Version Why – do they shut me out of Heaven? Did I sing – too loud? But – I can say a little “minor” Timid as a Bird! Wouldn’t the Angels try me – Just – once – more – Just – see – if I troubled them – But don’t – shut the door! Oh if I – were the Gentleman In the “White Robe” – And they – were the little Hand – that knocked – Could – I – forbid?

Copland’s Version Why do they shut me out of Heaven Did I sing too loud? But I can sing a little minor, Timid as a bird. Wouldn’t the angels try me Just once more Just see if I troubled them But don’t shut the door, don’t shut the door. Oh if I were the gentlemen in the white robes and they were the little hand that knocked, Could I forbid, could I forbid, could I forbid. Why do they shut me out of Heaven, Did I sing too loud?


“Poet’s Song” (1927) Lyrics by E. E. CUMMINGS | 1894-1962 This stand-alone song was composed early in Copland’s life while he was staying in Königstein, Germany. Originally entitled “Song,” the piece is set to an untitled poem by E. E. Cummings from his collection is 5 which was published just the year before. The piece is heavily influenced by Webern’s Five Pieces for Orchestra, which Copland had heard the previous summer. Copland makes use of the twelve-tone method popular in the Viennese serialism of Webern, Berg, and Schoenberg. Copland wrote the song for personal reasons and it was not performed until 1935, eight years after its composition. in spite of everything which breathes and moves, since Doom (with white longest hands neatening each crease) will smooth entirely our minds – before leaving my room i turn, and(stooping through the morning)kiss this pillow, dear where our heads lived and were. “Laurie’s Song” From The Tender Land (1954) Libretto by HORACE EVERETT | 1927-2001 The Tender Land is an opera by Aaron Copland with libretto by Horace Everett, a pseudonym for Erik Johns, a close friend of Copland. The opera tells the story of Laurie Moss, a senior in high school on the eve of her graduation. As the opera progresses, she starts to see beyond the Midwestern farm she has always known. She falls in love with a drifter who comes to town, and, even after he leaves her, she still decides to make her own way in the world and see all there is to see. Laurie sings this song when she first appears in the opera. She is reflecting on her upcoming graduation, a theme that resonates with me at this point in my life. Once I thought I’d never grow Tall as this fence. Time dragged heavy and slow. But April came and August went Before I knew just what they meant, And little by little I grew, And as I grew, I came to know How fast the time could go. Once I thought I’d never go Outside this fence. This space was plenty for me. But I walked down the road one day,


And just what happened I can’t say, But little by little it came to be That line between the earth and sky Came beckoning to me. Now the time has grown so short; The world has grown so wide. I’ll be graduated soon. Why am I strange inside? What makes me think I’d like to try To go down all those roads beyond that line Above the earth and ‘neath the sky? Tomorrow when I sit upon The graduation platform-stand, I know my hand will shake When I reach out to take That paper with the ribboned-band. Now that all the learning’s done, Oh who knows what will now begin? Oh it’s so strange. I’m strange inside. The time has grown so short, The world so wide.


LIZA LEHMANN | 1862-1918 Lyrics by ROSE FYLEMAN | 1877-1957 “There are fairies at the bottom of our garden” There are fairies at the bottom of our garden! It’s not so very, very far away; You pass the gardener’s shed and you just keep straight ahead – I do so hope they’ve really come to stay. There’s a little wood, with moss in it and beetles, And a little stream that quietly runs through; You wouldn’t think they’d dare to come merrymaking there – Well, they do. Yes, they do. There are fairies at the bottom of our garden! They often have a dance on summer nights; The butterflies and bees make a lovely little breeze, And the rabbits stand about to hold the lights. Did you know that they could sit upon the moon beams,


And snatch a little star to make a fan, And dance away up there in the middle of the air? Well, they can. Yes, they can. There are fairies at the bottom of our garden! You cannot think how beautiful they are; They all stand up and sing when the Fairy Queen and King Come lightly floating down upon their car. The King is very proud and very handsome; The Queen – now you can guess who that could be? She’s a little girl all day, but at night she steals away; Well, it’s me! Yes, it’s me! This delightfully British text is reminiscent of its era, when two young girls in Cottingley, England, produced a series of five photographs that appeared to feature fairies that lived in their back garden. The photographs took the world by storm, and a media frenzy surrounded the girls for much of the remainder of their lives. Without modern camera technologies, people had no way of knowing whether the pictures were genuine. The so-called Cottingley Fairies are still a subject of fascination. In singing this song, popularized by the comedienne Beatrice Lillie (known for her distinct voice and flamboyant performances), I imagine myself as one of the girls who took those photographs, and who knows the real truth about those mischievous and dazzlingly beautiful creatures.



HENRY PURCELL | 1659-1695 Scene of the Drunken Poet From The Fairy-Queen (1692) Composed three years before Purcell’s death, The Fairy-Queen is based (somewhat loosely) on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In this scene, Ben plays the role of the Poet (Bottom in Shakespeare’s version), with the three little maids of the Carleton Choir and Ben’s voice studio playing the role of three pesky fairies. This is part of the opening scene of the opera, introducing the audience to Titania’s magical attendants and to the “scurvy poet.” We chose this song because it was adaptable to performance by two sopranos, an alto, and a bass, and because the fairy theme has run throughout our vocal repertoire. We begged Ben to sing a song with us, and we’re thrilled that he agreed. He attests that he has never been drunk during our voice lessons. Drunken Poet: Fill up the Bowl, then... 1st Fairy, Chorus: Trip it, trip it in a Ring; Around this Mortal Dance, and Sing. Poet: Enough, enough, We must play at Blind Man’s Bluff. Turn me round, and stand away, I’ll catch whom I may. 2nd Fairy, Chorus: About him go, so, so, so, Pinch the Wretch, from Top to Toe; Pinch him forty, forty times, Pinch till he confess his Crimes. Poet: Hold you vile tormenting crew, I do confess. Both Fairies: What, what... Poet: I’m Drunk, as I live Boys, Drunk.

Both Fairies: What art thou, speak? Poet: If you will know it, I am a scurvy Poet. Chorus: Pinch him, pinch him for his Crimes, His Nonsense, and his Doggerel Rhymes. Poet: Hold! Oh! Oh! Oh! Both Fairies: Confess, more, more. Poet: I confess, I’m very poor. Nay prithee do not pinch me so, Good dear Devil, let me go; And as I hope to wear the Bays, I’ll write a Sonnet in thy Praise.

Rick Penning, director

Ben Allen, bass Emily Pollard

Nora Katz Agnes Tse, mezzo-soprano

Jialun Luo, piano


FRANCESCO SARTORI | b. 1957 Lyrics by LUCIO QUARANTOTTO | 1957-2012 and FRANK PETERSON | b. 1963 “Con Te Partiró” Quando sono solo sogno all’orizzonte e mancan le parole. Si, lo so che non c’è luce in una stanza quando manca il sole, Se non ci sei tu con me, con me. Su le finestre mostra a tutti il mio cuore che hai acceso, chiudi dentro me la luce che hai incontrato per strada. Con te partiró. Paesi che non ho mai veduto e vissuto con te, adesso si li vivrò. Con te partirò su navi per mari che, io lo so, no, no, non esistono più. Con te io li vivró… Quando sei lontana sogno all’orizzonte e mancan le parole, e io sì lo so che sei con me. Tu mia luna tu sei qui con me, mio sole tu sei qui con me.

When I’m alone I dream on the horizon and words fail. Yes, I know there is no light in a room where the sun is absent, if you are not with me. At the windows, I show everyone my heart which you set alight; enclose within me the light you encountered on the street. I’ll go with you, to countries I never saw and shared with you now, I shall live. I’ll go with you on ships across seas which, I know, no, no, exist no longer; with you I shall live. When you are far away I dream on the horizon and words fail, and, yes, I know that you are with me. You, my moon, are here with me, my sun, you are here with me.

Is there a better way to convey my love for Carleton, for the friends I’ve made here, for my voice community, and for my inimitable friend and mentor Ben Allen than to sing a cheesy staple of the nineties, in the language that I learned during one of my favorite terms at Carleton? I think not.



References Cummings, E. E. 1926. is 5. New York: Horace Liveright. Everett, Horace. 1954. The Tender Land. New York: Boosey and Hawkes. Franklin, R.W. Editor. 1981. The Manuscript Books of Emily Dickinson. Cambridge, MA: Harvard

University Press. Kimball, Carol. 2005. Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard

Corporation. Pollack, Howard. 1999. Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man. New York: Henry

Holt and Company. Retzlaff, Jonathan. 2012. Exploring Art Song Lyrics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Senici, Emanuele Editor. 2004. The Cambridge companion to Rossini. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge

University Press. Shaw, Watkins Editor. 1992. Messiah. London: Novello & Company Limited.

Thank you all so much for being here today to celebrate this milestone with us.

Documents

Senior Voice Recital · 2019. 5. 13. · no nol credete, pupille care; nemen per gioco v’ingannerò. Voi solo siete le mie faville, e voi sarete, care pupille, Il mio bel foco sin